Linux and UNIX vim command help and examples. About vimvim syntaxvim examples.

WARNING: Editing your Windows registry may cause unintended side effects that render your system inoperable. Although this tip has worked in the past for some people, there is no guarantee that it will work for you. Use with. *options.txt* For Vim version 7.3. Last change: 2011 Mar 22 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar Options * options* 1. Setting options |set-option| 2. Automatically setting options |auto-setting| 3. Options summary |. The Ultimate Vim Distribution containing the best vim plugins for php, python, git, ruby, and development.

Related commands. Linux and Unix main page. About vimvim, which stands for "Vi Improved", is a texteditor. It can be used for editing any kind of text, and it is especially suited for editing computer programs. Descriptionvim is a text editor that is upwards compatible to Vi. There are a lot of enhancements above Vi: multi level undo, multiple windows and buffers, syntax highlighting, command line editing, filename completion, a complete help system, visual selection, and many others.

Starting vim Most often, vim is started to edit a single file with the commandvim file More generally, vim is started with: vim [options] [filelist] If the filelist is missing, the editor will start with an empty buffer. Otherwise exactly one out of the following four options may be used to choose one or more files to be edited: Main Optionsfile.. A list of one or more filenames. The first one will be the current file and read into the buffer.

The cursor will be positioned on the first line of the buffer. You can get to the other files with the ": next" command.

To edit a file that starts with a dash, precede the filelist with a double dash ("- -").- A single dash specifies that the file to edit is to be read from standard input.- t {tag}The file to edit and the initial cursor position depends on a "tag", a sort of goto label. Mostly this is used for C programs, in which case {tag} could be a function name. The effect is that the file containing that function becomes the current file and the cursor is positioned on the start of the function. For more information within vim, use the command ": help tag- commands".- q [errorfile]Start in quick. Fix mode. The file errorfile is read and the first error is displayed. If errorfile is omitted, the filename is obtained from the 'errorfile' option (defaults to "errors.

Further errors can be jumped to with the ": cn" command. For more information within vim, use the command ": help quickfix". Invoking vimvim behaves differently depending on the name of the command used to invoke it. For example, if you create a symbolic link to the vimexecutable with one of the following names, it will behave in the following fashion: command namebehaviorvim"Normal" execution. Everything is default. Start in Ex mode.

Go to Normal mode with the ": vi" command. Can also be done with the "- e" argument. Start in read- only mode.

I have spent the last few years tweaking and refining my VIM configuration. This is the ultimate VIM configuration.vimrc file. It is well organized and documented. It is on GitHub so you can always grab the latest. It works.

Vi/vim FAQ: I keep getting these vim swap/temporary/backup files in my current directory, the ones with the tilde (~) character at the end of the filename; how do I get these swap/temporary files to go into another directory.

Question: On UNIX / Linux platform, I’ve used Vi or Vim editors and I’m very comfortable with it. I would like to use Vim editor on Windows OS also. How do.

We've all done it.opened a file using vi or vim to inspect the contents, and realize we need to alter it. Of course we totally ignored the message informing.

You will be protected from writing the files. Can also be done with the "- R" argument. The GUI version (if installed). Starts a new window. Can also be done with the "- g" argument. Runs GUI vim in "easy mode". This is a simplified mode of vim operation which is a lot like a normal text editor.

This is the same as running vim with the "- y" argument. Like the above, but running in "restricted" mode. It will not be possible to start shell commands from within vim, or to suspend vim.

This is the same as specifying the "- Z" argument. Additional Options. The options may be given in any order, before or after filenames. Options without an argument can be combined after a single dash.+[num]For the first file the cursor will be positioned on line num.

If num is missing, the cursor will be positioned on the last line.+/{pat}For the first file the cursor will be positioned on the first occurrence of {pat}. From within. < v&gt. If the {command} contains spaces it must be enclosed in double quotes (this depends on the shell that is used). For example: vim "+set si" main.

You can use up to 1. S {file}{file} will be sourced after the first file has been read. This is equivalent to - c "source {file}". If {file} is omitted, "Session. S is the last argument).- -cmd {command}Like using "- c", but the command is executed just before processing any vimrc file. You can use up to 1.

AIf vim has been compiled with Arabic support for editing right- to- left oriented files and Arabic keyboard mapping, this option starts vim in Arabic mode, i. Otherwise an error message is given and vim aborts.- b. Binary mode. A few options will be set that makes it possible to edit a binary or executable file.- CCompatible mode. Sets the 'compatible' option. This will make vim behave mostly like Vi, even though a . Start in diff mode.

There should be two, three or four file name arguments. Works like vimdiff.- d {device}Open {device} for use as a terminal (only on the Amiga).- DDebugging mode. Go to debugging mode when executing the first command from a script.- e.

Start vim in ex mode, just like if the executable is called "ex".- EStart vim in improved ex mode, just like if the executable was called "exim".- f. Foreground mode. For the GUI version, vim will not fork and detach from the shell it was started in. On the Amiga, vim is not restarted to open a new window. This option should be used when vim is executed by a program that will wait for the edit session to finish (e. On the Amiga the ": sh" and ": !" commands will not work.- -nofork. Foreground mode. For the GUI version, vim will not fork and detach from the shell it was started in.- FIf vim has been compiled with FKMAP support for editing right- to- left oriented files and Farsi keyboard mapping, this option starts vim in Farsi mode, i.

Otherwise an error message is given and vim aborts.- g. If vim has been compiled with GUI support, this option enables the GUI. If no GUI support was compiled in, an error message is given and vim aborts.- h. Give a bit of help about the command line arguments and options. After this vim exits.- HIf vim has been compiled with RIGHTLEFT support for editing right- to- left oriented files and Hebrew keyboard mapping, this option starts vim in Hebrew mode, i. Otherwise an error message is given and vim aborts.- i {viminfo}When using the viminfo file is enabled, this option sets the filename to use, instead of the default "~/.

You are here: Help > Linux and Unix. Linux and Unix vim command. About vim vim syntax vim examples Related commands Linux and Unix main page. About vim. vim, which stands for 'Vi Improved', is a text editor. It can be used for.

This can also be used to skip the use of the . NONE".- LSame as - r.- l.

Lisp mode. Sets the 'lisp' and 'showmatch' options on.- m. Modifying files is disabled. Resets the 'write' option. You can still modify the buffer, but writing a file is not possible.- MModifications not allowed.

The 'modifiable' and 'write' options will be unset, so that changes are not allowed and files can not be written. Note that these options can be set to enable making modifications.- NNo- compatible mode.

Reset the 'compatible' option. This will make vim behave a bit better, but less Vi compatible, even though a . No swap file will be used. Recovery after a crash will be impossible.

Handy if you want to edit a file on a very slow medium (e. Can also be done with ": set uc=0". Can be undone with ": set uc=2. Become an editor server for Net. Beans.- o[N]Open N windows stacked.

When N is omitted, open one window for each file.- O[N]Open N windows side by side. When N is omitted, open one window for each file.- p[N]Open N tab pages. When N is omitted, open one tab page for each file.- RRead- only mode. The 'readonly' option will be set. You can still edit the buffer, but will be prevented from accidently overwriting a file.

If you do want to overwrite a file, add an exclamation mark to the Ex command, as in ": w!". The - R option also implies the - n option (see below). The 'readonly' option can be reset with ": set noro".

See ": help 'readonly'".- r. List swap files, with information about using them for recovery.- r {file}Recovery mode.

The swap file is used to recover a crashed editing session. The swap file is a file with the same filename as the text file with ". See ": help recovery".- s. Silent mode. Only when started as "Ex" or when the "- e" option was given before the "- s" option.- s {scriptin}The script file {scriptin} is read. The characters in the file are interpreted as if you had typed them. The same can be done with the command ": source! If the end of the file is reached before the editor exits, further characters are read from the keyboard.- T {terminal}Tells vim the name of the terminal you are using.

Only required when the automatic way doesn't work. Should be a terminal known to vim (builtin) or defined in the termcap or terminfo file.- u {vimrc}Use the commands in the file {vimrc} for initializations. All the other initializations are skipped.

Use this to edit a special kind of files. It can also be used to skip all initializations by giving the name "NONE".

See ": help initialization" within vim for more details.- U {gvimrc}Use the commands in the file {gvimrc} for GUI initializations. All the other GUI initializations are skipped. It can also be used to skip all GUI initializations by giving the name "NONE". See ": help gui- init" within vim for more details.- V[N]Verbose. Give messages about which files are sourced and for reading and writing a viminfo file. The optional number N is the value for 'verbose'.

Default is 1. 0.- v. Start vim in Vi mode, just like the executable was called "vi". This only has effect when the executable is called "ex".- w {scriptout}All the characters that you type are recorded in the file {scriptout}, until you exit vim. This is useful if you want to create a script file to be used with "vim - s" or ": source!". If the {scriptout} file exists, characters are appended.- W {scriptout}Like - w, but an existing file is overwritten.- x.

Use encryption when writing files. Will prompt for a crypt key.- XDon't connect to the X server. Shortens startup time in a terminal, but the window title and clipboard will not be used.- y. Start vim in easy mode, just like the executable was called "evim" or "eview".

Makes vim behave like a click- and- type editor.- ZRestricted mode. Works like the executable starts with "r".- -Denotes the end of the options. Arguments after this will be handled as a file name. This can be used to edit a filename that starts with a '- '.- -echo- wid.

GTK GUI only: Echo the Window ID on standard output.- -help. Give a help message and exit, just like "- h".- -literal.

Take file name arguments literally, do not expand wildcards. This has no effect on Unix where the shell expands wildcards.- -noplugin.